Stalled: The EV Market Problem No One Can Fix
Download MP3🔍 Episode Description:
In this episode, we dive into the real obstacle blocking the mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S.—and it’s not just about consumer demand.
In this episode, we dive into the real obstacle blocking the mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S.—and it’s not just about consumer demand.
🔧 Key Topics Discussed:
- Why electric vehicles only make up about 1% of all cars on U.S. roads
- The slow growth despite 2-3% of new car sales being EVs
- The consumer-side barriers: usability, affordability, and adoption
- The supply-side crisis: manufacturing, labor, and raw materials
- Volkswagen’s concern—even with demand, can we actually produce enough EVs?
- Battery production challenges and the lack of factories in the U.S.
- The U.S. labor shortage in manufacturing vs. the rise of service industry work culture
- Executive insights: “This is the biggest industrial transformation in America”
- Cultural shift required to return to a manufacturing economy
- Shortage of skilled laborers for construction and factory roles
- Can automation solve the labor crisis, or is human labor still essential?
- The economic paradox: Who will afford EVs if high-paying manufacturing jobs disappear?
- Cost concerns: Why EVs still cost more than internal combustion engine vehicles
- Raw material issues: cobalt, lithium, and strained supply chains
- Broader questions: Is there enough electricity and infrastructure to support EV growth?
🧠Thought Starters for Listeners:
- Would you work in an EV battery factory if it paid well?
- Should the U.S. invest heavily in rebuilding its manufacturing base?
- Are we heading toward a labor crisis in the clean energy future?
- Can EV production scale without massive cultural and economic shifts?
